Jump To:

• bear
  bear

  verb (used with object)

  to hold up; support.
• Bear
  Bear

  noun

  Mount Bear, a mountain in southern Alaska, in the Saint Elias Mountains. 14,831 feet (4,520 meters).

Trivia Time

Which star pattern forms part of the Great Bear constellation?

Test Your Knowledge

bear

¹ American  

[bair] / bɛər /

verb (used with object)

bore, bare, borne, born, bearing

1. to hold up; support.

   to bear the weight of the roof.

   Synonyms:

   sustain, uphold

2. to hold or remain firm under (a load).

   The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.

3. to bring forth (young); give birth to.

   to bear a child.

4. to produce by natural growth.

   a tree that bears fruit.

   Synonyms:

   yield

5. to hold up under; be capable of.

   His claim doesn't bear close examination.

6. to press or push against.

   The crowd was borne back by the police.

   Synonyms:

   force, drive, thrust

7. to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.).

   to bear oneself erectly.

8. to conduct (oneself ).

   to bear oneself bravely.

9. to suffer; endure; undergo.

   to bear the blame.

10. to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified).

    I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.

    Synonyms:

    suffer, abide, brook

11. to be fit for or worthy of.

    It doesn't bear repeating.

12. to carry; bring.

    to bear gifts.

13. to carry in the mind or heart: to bear malice.

    to bear love;

    to bear malice.

14. to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).

15. to render; afford; give: to bear testimony.

    to bear witness;

    to bear testimony.

16. to lead; guide; take.

    They bore him home.

17. to have and be entitled to.

    to bear title.

18. to exhibit; show.

    to bear a resemblance.

19. to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear the cost.

    to bear responsibility;

    to bear the cost.

20. to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively.

    the relation that price bears to profit.

21. to possess, as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear an inscription.

    to bear traces;

    to bear an inscription.

22. to have and use; exercise: to bear sway.

    to bear authority;

    to bear sway.

---

verb (used without object)

bore, bare, borne, born, bearing

1. to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear left at the fork in the road.

   to bear west;

   to bear left at the fork in the road.

2. to be located or situated.

   The lighthouse bears due north.

3. to bring forth young or fruit.

   Next year the tree will bear.

verb phrase

1. bear with to be patient or forbearing with.

   Please bear with me until I finish the story.

2. bear down on / upon

   1. to press or weigh down on.

   2. to strive toward.

   3. to approach something rapidly.

   4. Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward.

      The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.

3. bear up to endure; face hardship bravely.

   It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.

4. bear out to substantiate; confirm.

   The facts bear me out.

5. bear off

   1. Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.

   2. Nautical. to steer away.

   3. Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.

6. bear on / upon to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to.

   This information may bear on the case.

7. bear down

   1. to press or weigh down.

   2. to strive harder; intensify one's efforts.

      We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.

   3. Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship.

      The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.

idioms

1. bear false witness. see bear false witness.

2. bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose.

   Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.

3. bear witness. see bear witness.

bear ² American  

[bair] / bɛər /

noun

• bears,
  plural
• bear
  plural

1. any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails.

2. any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.

3. a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.

4. a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).

5. Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc..

   a bear for physics.

6. Astronomy. Bear, either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.

7. Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.

8. Bear. Russia.

---

adjective

1. having to do with or marked by declining prices, as of stocks.

   bear market.

verb (used with object)

beared, bearing

1. Stock Exchange. to force prices down in (a market, stock, etc.).

idioms

1. loaded for bear, fully prepared and eager to initiate or deal with a fight, confrontation, or trouble.

   Keep away from the boss—he's loaded for bear today.

Bear ³ American  

[bair] / bɛər /

noun

1. Mount Bear, a mountain in southern Alaska, in the Saint Elias Mountains. 14,831 feet (4,520 meters).

---

bear ¹ British  

/ bɛə /

verb

1. to support or hold up; sustain

2. to bring or convey

   to bear gifts

3. to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of

   to bear an expense

4. (past participle bornin passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to

   to bear children

5. (also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth

   to bear fruit

6. to tolerate or endure

   she couldn't bear him

7. to admit of; sustain

   his story does not bear scrutiny

8. to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelings

   to bear a grudge

   I'll bear that idea in mind

9. to show or be marked with

   he still bears the scars

10. to transmit or spread

    to bear gossip

11. to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness )

12. to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc)

    she bore her head high

13. to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)

    his account bears no relation to the facts

14. (intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction

    the way bears east

15. to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title )

16. to give assistance

17. to bring into operation or effect

    he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation

---

bear ² British  

/ bɛə /

noun

1. any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae : order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong claws See also black bear brown bear polar bear

2. any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear

3. a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person

4. a teddy bear

5. stock exchange

   1. a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare bull 1

      a bear market

---

verb

1. (tr) to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling

Bear ³ British  

/ bɛə /

noun

1. the English name for Ursa Major Ursa Minor

2. an informal name for Russia

---

bear More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bear

• bring to bear
• cross as a bear
• cross to bear
• grin and bear it
• loaded for bear

---

Usage

What’s the difference between bear and bare? As a verb, bear commonly means to endure something negative (as in I can’t bear to watch) or to carry, hold up, or support (as in The roof can’t bear that much weight), while as a noun it refers to the big furry animal (like grizzly bears and polar bears). Bare can be an adjective that means uncovered (as in bare feet) or empty or without the usual contents (as in bare cabinets or bare walls), or a verb meaning to reveal or open to view (as in bare your secrets). Bare is most commonly used as an adjective, usually involving something uncovered or empty. As a verb, bear is often used in the context of holding or carrying things, including in literal, physical ways (as in bear a load or bear weight) and in figurative ones (as in bear a grudge). To remember the difference in spelling, remember that bears have ears, and they are able to bear a lot of weight because of how big and strong they are, but they are never bare because they are covered in fur. Here’s an example of bear and bare used correctly in a sentence. Example: Why does the bear never wear shoes? Because he prefers bare feet. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between bear and bare.

Commonly Confused

Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1 . Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.

Synonym Usage

Bear, stand, endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. Bear and stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding: to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss. Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time: to endure torture.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bearlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bear
  plural
• bears
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of bear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beran, Dutch baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan, German (ge)bären, Russian berët “(he) takes,” Albanian bie, Tocharian pär-, Phrygian ab-beret “(he) brings,” Latin ferre, Old Irish berid “(he) carries,” Armenian berem, Greek phérein, Sanskrit bhárati, Avestan baraiti; from Indo-European bher- ( see -fer, -phore)

Origin of bear²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, beare, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bār, Dutch beer, Old High German bero, German Bär; from Proto-Germanic beran- literally, “the brown one”; akin to Old Norse bjǫrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian bė́ras “brown”; cf. bruin

---

Explanation

To bear is to carry or endure, whether by physical or mental force. If you can bear to read on, you'll find out all the different ways to use the word bear. Obviously you know the big hairy mountain-roaming animal, but you might not have heard about a bear on Wall Street — an investor who is pessimistic about the market. In its verb form, bear is rooted in the Old English beran, meaning “to bring forth, sustain, endure” and more. So you can bear (or carry) a grudge. You can bear (or give birth to) children. Or you can bear (or stand) to listen to your great aunt tell the same story for the umpteenth time if you have a kind soul.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bear Bear bears bare beared bearing bore born borne

The SOX had tumbled 46.5% during the bear market.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Clifton’s, with its collection of oddities, be it a taxidermied bear or a bartop meteorite, is just the sort of fantastical place, they reason, to house a never-ending “Dungeons & Dragons”-inspired game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

The following month, a bear attacked a school group - also in the Bella Coola area - injuring 11 people.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“At present, virtually every alarm bell warning of a substantial bear market ahead is ringing,” Elliott Investment Management wrote in an October investor letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Even if Wolf did find a way back, he’d be bringing the bear with him, drawn by the river eyes.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Millions of people had been following the lives of Jackie and her mate, Shadow, two bald eagles whose lives had been live streamed from a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

There’s an ironic disconnect when a town calls itself “Polar Bear Capital of the World” — it’s not like these creatures, who existed long before us, get to be in charge of anything.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Bear Grylls, the adventurer and host of the Discovery Channel's show Man Vs Wild, has spoken about when he helped baptise Brand in the River Thames in 2024.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

British producer Jamie xx adds production to the glittery electropop tune “Every Single Weekend,” while Panda Bear lends his distinctive high tenor to the mellow indie-pop track “Highfield.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

“We had positions that were being valued by Bear Stearns at six hundred grand that went to six million the next day.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

"The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, including how and why it happened, whether there was any negligence and who bears responsibility, will be established," Erdogan said on television.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

The phenomenon, known as "gravitational reconnection," bears an unexpected resemblance to a process responsible for some of the Sun's most powerful eruptions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

His home in Giverny, northwest of the capital, bears ample witness to his success, especially his water and flower gardens, which he created from scratch and employed no fewer than five full-time gardeners to manage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

For bears, or those with less confidence in Micron’s stock, the idea is that the prospect of a memory downturn is becoming more real, Hendi Susanto, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

“What if polar bears do that in every house and building?”

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

“Taking back the insurance cuts of last year is the bare minimum right now,” Dutta wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Laid bare in all of this is Mr. Woodward’s pomposity and his boundless conceit as a journalist who operates—as he sees it—in the eye of History.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

An adjacent overpass over Agoura Road, as well as a land bridge still being built between the structures, are currently bare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Publish a bare number with false confidence and you own every inch of the miss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The rest were just rectangular cutouts in the wall with bare mattresses.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Herbert escaped the pocket to his left and slung a pass while falling away as defenders beared down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024

Wrestling fans around the world beared witness to some of the most iconic moments in WWE history at Sunday night’s edition of WrestleMania.

From Fox News ● Apr. 8, 2019

“He gave up a lot of hits but beared down when he had to. He pitched well enough to win and he pitched well enough to lose. We just couldn’t score.”

From Washington Times ● Jun. 10, 2017

"We got some runners on, and he beared down and started pitching different with runners in scoring position," Gomes said.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2011

After a hesitation, he turned back to Kira and said in a low voice, ‘‘I beared them talking.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

When Bono comes in, he’s vocalizing in a flat, half-spoken cadence similar to the 2009 single “Get on Your Boots,” and there’s no hook to speak of despite its pop bearing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

We’re bearing witness, and hearing from them what came after.

From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2026

By reducing normal weight bearing and muscle use, this technique produces some of the changes associated with prolonged inactivity, including muscle deterioration.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

He was also known for the range of hair products bearing his name, and the iconic Purdey bowl cut which he created for The New Avengers actor Joanna Lumley in 1976.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

There are some features of linguistic change that are worth bearing in mind as we go on.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

I mourned not only her person, but another loosening of the roots that grounded me in the land she bore me to.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Another wrote that the object bore no labels indicating that it's a wine bottle.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“The AI trade bore the brunt of the mover lower,” he added, with the AI bottleneck and power themes also badly hit.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

The strategy was on display this week as Le Pen released a video address that bore the hallmarks of a president addressing the nation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

A small table in the shadows bore a plate and a glass, thickly covered with dust.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

The BBC also visited Brookhaven, in Lincoln County, where Hyde-Smith was born and where Trump won a whopping 72% of votes two years ago.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

Kamau Sadiki, born Nathan Anderson, adopted his Kenyan name as he took up the cause of fighting racial inequality in America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

The couple welcomed their twins in 1995, who were born via surrogate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

Brigitte Macron, 73, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026

“I never knew him, either. He died before I was born, in the mines.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Then, whether buyers return to semiconductor stocks that have borne the worst of the selling, and whether any recovery extends beyond a handful of top-tier tech names.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

"The additional cost is borne by the state," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Similarly, the expense borne by DeepSeek to develop its models has been astronomically less than what it has cost US AI firms to develop their own.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

That is borne out in research, which shows relational organizing works because young people trust their neighbors or community networks far more than national parties.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

It was the first time in a very long time that Ophie didn’t feel like an annoyance, a burden meant to be borne.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• create
• develop
• form
• make
• produce
• provide

---